In the Light of Day
by Amaterai
Summary: Anna and Elsa know they love each other more than anything. But what will happen as they cross the threshold to become lovers. Planned multi-part, M for later chapters. [Elsanna]
1. Chapter 1

**Just another Elsanna fic that takes place just after the end of Frozen. I had the urge to write this late at night after reading too many (is there such a thing as too many though?) wonderful Elsanna stories. This is my humble contribution to the fandom, though I admit that I lack the talent of several great authors here. You guys are awesome, really.  
****I have a few ideas for a storyline that will earn the M rating. This chapter mainly serves as intro. That said, I hope you enjoy.**

And just like that, summer is back, and the gates stay open. There is a lot to do of course. Gauging the damage that the short, but intense Freeze has done. Then, there the extent of damage to the confidence that the people of Arendelle might feel towards their young Queen, barely of age and a stranger to them all, but now feared, romanticized and adored in equal measure. That Arendelle starts to see its Queen as a benevolent protector and not a threat or, worse yet, a mad witch, is largely due to the endeavors of the Princess however, who seems to burst with pride and adoration whenever she talks about her sister in public. As such, the Queen at least enjoys the benefit of the doubt of those who have yet to make up their mind about the new monarch.

And of course there are…international affairs to deal with, caused by a sudden rupture in the balance of powers. The small kingdom of Arendelle that for all these years has kept out of the political scheming of its larger neighbors is suddenly a force to be reckoned with in the eyes of the foreign dignitaries. Yes, Arendelle now has a monarch that is capable of bringing eternal winter to entire nations, and this needs careful analysis and observation before actions are to be taken.

All of this is on Elsa's mind as she buries her head in her hands and sighs wearily. Her neck and shoulders are stiff from reading through piles of documents that seem to flood her large desk these days. Her father's desk actually, which is now hers.

Letter after letter arrive these days, and more and more are from monarchs, ministers and other people of power that most likely have never heard of Arendelle before, but are now congratulating her on her ascension to the throne. It is almost funny, Elsa muses, how she is learning to read the true meaning behind the elaborate, seemingly repetitive diplomatic phrases and wording. And there is a whole range of meaning to be discovered, assessed and responded to. This one fakes enthusiasm over her coronation for the sake of new trade arrangements at the expense of Weselton. This one contains careful prodding about Arendelle's official stance in political affairs that Elsa is not even aware of. Another reminds the ruler of Arendelle of the "old ties between our grand nations", and another is but a barely concealed threat should Arendelle think of becoming "overly ambitious".

Suddenly, two arms encircle the monarch from behind, and there is the split of a second where Elsa's body remains tense after the initial surprise. _Is it safe to be touched, is she in control_? But then Elsa smiles and relaxes back into the arms holding her, the tension leaving her body. "_It is okay. I am okay. Love will thaw._"

"More royal correspondence, your Majesty?" The teasing smile in Anna's voice is evident as she holds her sister affectionately. Her breath tickles Elsa's cheek slightly. The readhead leans closer, letting her chin rest on the Queen's shoulder. Elsa nods and gives out a sigh, this one deeper than the previous one. "It appears that every nation wants to be on good terms with Arendelle these days. But I am not sure how long this is going to last, Anna. At some point Arendelle will be asked to give up the comfortable neutral position we enjoyed for being just a small kingdom in the far north. People believe we are not unimportant enough anymore to just let us be."

Anna senses what her sister is really trying to say. Maybe without noticing it, Elsa has covered one of Anna's hands with her own, lacing their fingers together. "_Arendelle is ruled by a woman that conjures a snowstorm with so much as a twirl of her hand. I am feared, and if I mess this up then all repercussions on Arendelle will be my fault and my fault alone."_

The Princess nuzzles her sister's neck affectionately, knowing that she has no answer that can dissipate the blonde's worries, no matter what she'll say. But she also believes that Elsa is, as is so often the case, worrying too much. "Maybe they will leave Arendelle alone once they realize that the mighty Ice Queen is not interested in power and would rather read her sister good night stories than conquer the world. I am sure that realization will come as a shock to royalty around the globe, but I think its suits Arendelle and the royal princess just fine."

Elsa manages to chuckle and wince at the same time, squeezing Anna's hand gently. "I am not sure it'll be that easy."

"No, it won't," Anna nods, the smile still on her face, Elsa can feel it against her cheek. "But I know you can do it."

And there it is again, the unshakeable faith that Anna has in Elsa no matter the doubts and insecurities that are plaguing the blonde. Elsa doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry, she still isn't entirely sure she can live up to whatever Anna sees in her. But Elsa can feel some of the apprehension leave her body. The Queen nuzzles her younger sister's bare arm, placing a soft kiss on the smooth skin.

Ever since that day, the day that was both the Freeze and the end of it, there hasn't been a single day where both have not spent time together. There is so much between them, a growing…something….they are aware of but can't voice. At least not yet, when there is still so much catching up to do, so much lost time to make up for. So much getting to know the other who is both a stranger and yet closer than anyone else in the world.

They are both keenly aware that their interaction not only becomes more intimate through words by telling the other about harbored dreams and hopes as well as fears and insecurities as the grew up, separated from each other; but all talk of the past is outshone by the sheer joy of being together again and knowing, truly knowing, that neither stopped loving the other during all those years. After years of loneliness and longing for human contact, the re-acquaintance with each other is expressed physically as well. They hug, they link arms as they walk, and often Anna will lay her head on Elsa's shoulder, just enjoying her sister's closeness. When Elsa reads to Anna, Anna often rests her head in her sister's lap; or Elsa will wrap one arm around her sister while Anna leans back against her, and the younger sister closes her eyes and savors the warmth of Elsa's body. The beautiful dresses made from ice are more and more reserved for public appearances and less and less worn when both of them spend time together. It is a treasured knowledge to Anna knowing that, despite all rumors that are of course out there, the Ice Queen's body can be remarkably warm to the touch.

They don't talk about it, but as if in unspoken agreement, the touches have grown more tender, more intimate, over the past weeks. A first soft kiss to the cheek, then forehead, then closed eyelids. A first brushing of lips against one another late at night in the library when the fire has burned down and they have run out of words to share.

It is Anna – of course it is Anna – who whispers "I love you" after this, and she has almost anticipated this moment of hesitation, this moment when she knows Elsa *needs* to make sure first that what she is about to do has no negative repercussions. Elsa, who is always so cautious, always so self-conscious about her actions and about what she perceives as selfishness.

And then Elsa, in a voice that is all tenderness, whispers back. "I love you too." And Anna reaches up and pulls Elsa's face towards her, and they kiss some more until Elsa's starts crying even though she isn't able to tell why.

Of course they need to talk about this. Definitely. But not yet, even though the longing for each other is growing with each passing day. Just a while longer enjoy this state that is not quite sisterly, but not quite romantic yet either.

Anna waves a hand in front of Elsa's face, breaking her out of her reverie. "Did I lose you there for a second?" Elsa flushes, embarrassed that she let her mind wander. But Anna doesn't even give her the chance to feel guilty or apologize. She pulls her sister to her feet.

"As far as I remember, you have a royal appointment today to teach me how to ice skate as befits any big sister. Protests and excuses will not be accepted," she adds as Elsa opens her mouth to do just that.

Elsa shakes her head in mock defeat, even as a wave of warmth spreads through her body. She leans her forehead against Anna's for a moment, taking hold of her hands. "Thank you, Anna", she whispers. "_For lightening the mood when I start brooding. For being there when I don't think I can't handle it anymore. For not letting go of me_._ For loving me no matter what._"

Anna is momentarily startled by Elsa's gesture. But she also knows her sister by now, and knows that her idea to go ice skating came just at the right time. "Don't thank me, just make sure you don't drop me like last time. My rear hurt for two days, which I think would have justified two days of getting your dessert instead of just dinner's that evening you know."

And just like that, in this moment, Elsa s not the Queen of Arendelle anymore, but a young woman who loves her sister more than anything in the world and _who will be damned if she is not going to come up with a good reply to the redhead's tease right now_. "One should think that by know you'd be able to skate on your own," she says airily. "After so many hours of practice, even a toddler would be able to skate better than you. Honestly Anna, how much longer do you need to hold onto me…" Elsa trails off as she notices the twinkle in Anna's eyes. Realization dawns upon the queen, further confirmed by Anna's face breaking into a smug smirk.

"I have the feeling I will need to hold onto you for a good while longer, Elsa. And you'll have to teach me for a long time to come." The redhead replies happily, dragging the Queen of Arendelle towards the door.


	2. Chapter 2

It is late summer, and it seems that time has never passed quicker. Each day is a new challenge for Anna now that the gates are open and Elsa is queen. Arendelle's port is bustling with activity, with more ships anchoring at the pier than Anna can ever remember seeing. Then there are the official visits from ambassadors and merchants of wealth and influence. And even though Elsa is the centre of attention, Anna tries to be of help as much as possible (even if she can't believe how stiff and boring most of these meetings are). She often wonders how her sister can do it – remain so composed and so…so regal all the time, when Anna often itches to just escape to the marketplace or Kristoff's small cottage.

But here she is, attending another "soupé" (what's with that word anyway, it just sounds stupid!) in the company of the Baroness of Ashken as well as Arendelle's, truth to be told, rather small circle of nobility. And Elsa is not even there, meeting with the Baron while Anna volunteered to keep the Baron's wife and small retinue entertained. Fair is fair, Elsa never asked her to do this, even asked her if she was really okay to sacrifice a day out in the sunshine horseback riding or ice harvesting with Kristoff for the sake of playing co-host to their guests. Anna bites her lip, remembering. How could she say no when she knows how much this helps Elsa in her efforts? Just for this look of gratitude in Elsa's eyes when Anna says "No problem, leave it up to me."

So here she is, desperately trying to avoid a _faux pas_ (another one of these stupid words – who again said that – ah right, Lady Céline, two weeks ago when Anna accidently spilled wine over her husband's uniform over dinner. To her defense, it was just too funny when Olaf's lower half came waddling in, looking for his head, causing the dignitary of Gelt to almost faint from shock).

And so she sits through the "soupé", trying small talk and failing miserably as she ends up relating her fight against the wolves during her search for her heroic, brave, wonderful sister to a gaping Baroness, nearly knocking her goblet over (nearly – see, there's improvement).

When a rather baffled Baroness excuses herself later to retire for the day, probably happy that she has three sons instead of one daughter like Anna, the princess is reminded what a different upbringing she had compared to her sister's. Not just isolated, that they shared. But it was clear from the start that Elsa would end up being the ruler. Elsa told her about the kind, but strict schooling where the fear of disappointing her parents and teachers was a greater motivator than any scolding. It is so easy to imagine how Elsa pushed herself to do what was expected of her, to make amends for her flaw that has already caused too much pain by being the best crown princess, the best daughter, the best student there can be. Anna can't help but feel crestfallen how little was expected of her by comparison, as if her parents let her run wild (as much as one can in a half-empty castle anyway). Maybe it was their way to make amends for the way they had Elsa raised – give the younger sister the freedom they could not give Elsa, though to Anna it often had the taste of neglect rather than freedom. How strange that many of Anna's bubbly demeanors come from the hours of utter boredom and loneliness she had to figure out herself how to fill.

With trade and harvest season nearing its peak, she and Elsa have little time to spend in each other's company, just the two of them. And while Anna can escape to do as she pleases from time to time (though she does so less and less in fact), Elsa is never quite allowed to relax. But tonight, for the first time in many days, there is no official dinner, not late-night meetings, no documents to finish. Tonight is reserved to be spent in front of the fireplace in the library. It's in moments like these that Anna feels closest to her sister. Sitting barefooted on the carpet floor with a small plate of chocolate treats in front of them and just enjoying a quiet intimacy, Anna knows it is all worth it if she can be with Elsa like this, once in a while. As the evening advances, Anna ends up cuddled against the blonde in quite the same way it happened a few weeks ago when they shared the kiss that lingered too long to be just sisterly. And Anna wonders (hopes?) if they will kiss again tonight, or if they will talk about it.

But something is distracting her sister tonight. Her touches are gentle and affectionate as always, and the way she runs her fingers through Anna's hair causes the younger girl to give out a content sigh and cuddle closer. Anna catches Elsa looking out the window, and there is a wistful longing in her eyes that Anna cannot decipher.

"Penny for your thoughts…?" Anna finally says softly, looking up at her sister who is still gazing at something beyond the window.

Elsa blushes as if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She looks apologetic as she laces their fingers together; a gesture that Anna has come to love, but it takes a moment until she responds. Anna has learned to be patient, knowing that her sister will eventually open up after her internal due diligence. But this time, Elsa's words surprise her.

"Let's head up for the mountains tomorrow. Just you and me."

Anna stares, her jaw dropping._ "Where did that come from?"_

"You mean….like…us? You and me? I mean, you said you and me but do you really mean you and me. I mean, just us two, no one else?"

A generous part of Anna's brain is kicking her forcefully for falling back into her old pattern of rambling while the remaining part is just too busy being excited at the unexpected prospect.

"Oh Elsa, that would be so, so great. Is this what you've been thinking about? How long have you been thinking about this? When do we leave? Do I need to bring anything? Oh, can we stop at Kristoff's on our way up, cause I haven't seen him in days, and I have so many carrots from the kitchen that I need to feed to Sven, I promised him, and I wonder if Olaf is okay, you know, after the commotion he caused at that dinner. I mean, Sven is taking care of him, they're practically inseparable, but…"

Anna stops herself as her sister begins to laugh. And Anna decides that she very much likes Elsa's laughter, more so as she can feel her sister's body vibrate against her own. Elsa ruffles Anna's hair affectionately and kisses the top of her head.

"Yes Anna, just you and me. And yes, I have been thinking about it for some time, and we leave before dawn so we have the entire day and yes, we will stop at Kristoff's. And I am sure Olaf is fine."

There is a pause where Elsa's amused smile seems to falter the slightest bit, and Elsa's next words are hesitant, more carefully chosen. "And…if you don't mind. I would like to go where…where the castle I built used to stand. It must surely have melted by now. But maybe it hasn't, or at least not all of it yet. I…I just want to see for myself."

The wistful, longing look makes its way back into Elsa's eyes at these words, and her gaze wanders out the window again.

Anna cocks her head to the side, squinting, not quite sure what to make of this.

"Sure…?" she says slowly, giving her sister a prompt to continue. But she is given no explanation. Instead, Elsa turns her gaze towards the readhead again, and the smile on her face is able to make Anna forget language altogether. Suddenly there is energy to Elsa that seems to spread through her body, a sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes that makes Anna's heart skip a beat. She only ever remembers catching a glimpse of this when Elsa first put ice skates to her boots. But this one is different…no, not different. Just…more of the same. More intense. Elsa's porcelain skin seems to glow from excitement. "_I am __swooning__?_" And her brain helpfully supplies "_Yes, and you are staring, too._"

Elsa rises to her feet, a rather unexpected move which brings Anna back to reality most unpleasantly as she misses the soft body she's been comfortably nestled against.

"Let's go to bed, if we are to leave before dawn we only have a few hours of sleep." Anna finds herself in a tight embrace, and she gasps in surprise while at the same time her heart skips another beat, only to beat twice as fast afterwards. Elsa's excitement must be contagious. And there is something in Elsa's excitement that makes Anna's face flush and causes a strange tightening in the pit of her stomach. "Y-yeah, sure…," she says, still trying to catch up with the speed of events as Elsa takes her by the end and walks towards their chambers which these days are right next to each other's. Elsa stops before Anna's door and hugs her sister again. "I can't wait for tomorrow, Anna. Sleep well, I'll wake you." For a moment, it looks like she's going to say….do…more as she looks into Anna's eyes, their faces so, SO close. But then she just smiles and gives Anna a light peck on the lips before disappearing into her chamber.

Anna stands there for the moment, still baffled as she tries to piece together the last five minutes, lips still tingling from the soft touch of Elsa's. "_Just what was that?"_ she thinks. "_What the heck are you up to, Elsa_?"

**Note: So, official start of the storyline in chapter 2 as promised. I will alternate between making each chapter either Anna or Elsa centric as regards POV. Just to keep the suspense ;-) I apologize for typos as I have no beta reader (anyone volunteering?). I also am no native speaker. I hope you enjoyed nonetheless! I would be happy to know you did.**


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa opens her eyes. Her room is still dark, and there is just darkness beyond her window. She doesn't know exactly how long she's slept, she only knows that she dreamed. That she had *that* dream again. It started a few weeks ago, and with each night it becomes more intense, more real, and more vivid. She can still feel its aftermath, and even though her body lies perfectly still, her insides are in turmoil.

_Whirling snowflakes and ice crystals all around her, a gust of wind pulling at her hair, lifting her, and she feels weightless, so weightless..._

This is how the dreams start, always. What happens next is as terrifying as it is luring, and even though Elsa is not able to feel cold, she shivers. A single snowflake dances near the ceiling, not in a hurry to descend to the ground, and Elsa follows the light sparkle with her eyes until it gently, silently touches the carpet and dissolves into oblivion.

She gets up from her bed, her feet not making a sound as she walks over towards the window, staring out into the night. The giddiness and excitement she felt last night has not quite left her. But she knows that she hasn't been exactly truthful to Anna, or at least, she hasn't told her the whole story. But in that moment in the library, with Anna so close to her, her body so warm and so soft, the idea just broke out of her.

What Anna doesn't know is that Elsa had been thinking about going alone.

The dream keeps tugging at her mind, unwilling to relent even as Elsa keeps it below the surface, the queen just as unwilling to let it fully come to life when she's awake in the full light of day.

Elsa touches the cool glass of her window. Beyond she can see the mountains, devoid of snow except for the highest peaks far away. And the voice inside her is whispering as the queen stands there for quite some time until the first faint glow of morning turns the black of sky into a dark blue.

She dresses into a simple, practical garb reserved for horseback riding and finds herself quietly opening the door to Anna's room. It feels strangely intimate, to enter Anna's room when the girl is still sleeping. Just a few feet away is her baby sister, a tangled mess of limbs and brownish-red hair and sheets and looking so adorable that Elsa's heart seems to burst in her chest at the sight of it.

She sits down on the bed, smiling when Anna doesn't even stir. One of her legs is exposed, smooth skin barely covered by the short shift she's wearing (it IS summer, after all), and Elsa doesn't even try to deny the arousal building inside her like a warm glow. Anna, she knows, is all that truly matters in the end. Whatever they choose to become.

_We're sisters_, Elsa thinks as she reaches out and gently tucks a tousled strand of hair behind her Anna's ear, allowing her to see sleeping face. _And we're lovers. It's already in our touches and words and the way we look at each other_.

It is the act of the body that will have to catch up with what their hearts already know. And when you have died for the sake of the person you love more than anything, or when you have seen your world shatter into pieces, the guess is that concepts such as guilt, shame or morale have lost their meaning.

Unwilling to break the physical contact now that it has been established, Elsa combs her fingers through Anna's hair before bending down to kiss her sister on the cheek. "_I am not willing to leave you._"

**Note: I apologize that this chapter is so short, but I decided to rather make a stop here for the sake of the story flow in the next chapter. I am so happy that people are following "In the Light of Day", and it'd be great to learn what you think of it so far.**


	4. Chapter 4

The sun has barely risen as Elsa and Anna make their way up to Kristoff's cottage. It is hard for the younger sister to sit still in her saddle, she is just too excited – she might just as well explode into a happy puddle of joy.

"_We're really out on an outing together. I mean…wow, this must be like the best day in forever._"

Not that the day hasn't started in the best possible way; being woken up by Elsa with a gentle kiss. In this moment Anna curses her healthy sleep as she was still too dazed to really savor Elsa's lips on her cheek, making her feel all warm and tingly and HAPPY inside that she actually managed to out of bed in what can be considered record time for the princess. Compared to the lethargy of not so long ago, when each day resembled the previous one, when dreams were preferable over reality and a warm bed with snuggly sheets so much more appealing than sitting alone at the breakfast table.

But there is no reason to stay in bed when she and Elsa are going to be TOGETHER for an entire day. She is not sure people recognize the royal pair as they pass by early risers. Not with the clothes they're wearing and hoods of their capes pulled over their heads, just in case. Elsa has assured Anna that the majordomos knows they'll be back by nightfall (what she didn't say is that she left him a note last night, saying that there was a slight change of plans and that Anna would accompany her).

It is still morning when they arrive at the cottage. It is small, but built from stone with a small shack for Sven behind it, a small rock garden at the front (Anna wonders if it is because he wants to be reminded of his family) and an even smaller workbench nestled against one side where he is repairing his ice harvest tools when they arrive. Sven is dozing next to him, with Olaf cuddled against his flank, snow perpetually falling from the little cloud above his head. Not that Sven seems to mind.

Kristoff waves as they approach, his face flushed from the heat of summer. Anna slips down the horse and runs to Kristoff to hug him tightly. Elsa can't help noticing how small her sister looks in this bear hug, even though the embrace is returned with utmost gentleness while Anna is probably squeezing the air out of him. Not that Kristoff isn't the finest, most gentle man she's ever come across. Maybe it's because just like Anna and herself, he's a social awkward, more used to being on his own than mingling among people.

"Now this is quite a surprise," he laughs, smiling at Elsa from over the Anna's shoulder. "Finally taking a day off? What happened? Did Elsa have to freeze the entire bay in pure self-defense to put a stop to the influx of visitors?"

Anna beams, smiling her smug smile. "Nope, we just stole ourselves away in the middle of the night, and in a few hours you'll have the royal guard here searching for us and taking you into custody while we're far, far away."

Kristoff stares, not knowing how much of this a joke is. Elsa giggles – _she's giggling!_ – and Anna's grin widens into inappropriate proportions as her eyes twinkle mischievously.

"Not funny," Kristoff grumbles, trying to sound annoyed, which he doesn't quite manage, and trying to extricate himself from the still tight hug at the same time. It doesn't help at all that in this moment Olaf comes running, squealing happily and stick arms thrown up high in the air.

"Huuuuuuuuuuug…!"

Said snowman attaches himself happily to Kristoff's and Anna's legs as he announces. "Group hug! Come on guys". Sven rolls his eyes, but lazily gets up from the ground and trots over, and even Elsa joins what turns out to be an awkward, uncomfortable hug with all sorts of confusion of sizes and skin and fur and cold snow that nevertheless leaves everyone present feeling all fuzzy and warm inside.

"I am sure that's the strangest group hug ever witnessed," Kristoff mumbles, but there is a gentleness in this voice that betrays his words, not to mention the fact that he keeps his big arms around them all for a moment longer.

Sven is the first one to officially call the group hug over, drawn away by the delicious smell of carrots coming from one of Anna's saddle packs.

"Smart boy, Sven…smaaart boy, you didn't think I'd come for a visit without a heap of carrots just for you, huh?" Anna takes the pack and Sven follows her eagerly, eyes glued to his prize as if hypnotized while simultaneously trying to get his large nose under the flap which earns him a gentle slap. "Bad reindeer. Honestly, where are your manners?" Sven snorts in indignation, casting a glance as Kristoff as if to say "Blame him, he's the one who is not feeding me enough carrots you know. Poor me."

Elsa laughs and takes the pack from Anna. "I'll make sure that the royal reindeer is getting its carrots. You stay with Kristoff, I'll be right back." With that, Elsa, Sven and Olaf trailing at her heels, disappears behind the house. It doesn't take a genius to realize that she is giving Anna time to catch up with Kristoff. For a few days, he _was_ her boyfriend after all, though the relationship quickly grew into what it was supposed to be, for the both of them. Kristoff couldn't be more of a big brother than if they were related by blood. Not a good comparison when you are harboring feelings for your actual sibling, but it'll have to do.

"So tell me, what is the real reason you two are showing up out of the blue. Not that I am not happy to see you, mind you. Is…everything okay?"

Anna turns to look up into Kristoff's warm expression, and she shrugs, blushing the slightest bit. "It was Elsa's idea. To go on an outing to the mountains, just the two of us. It was my idea to stop by." She pauses. "I've missed you."

Kristoff smiles back. "I've missed you, too. But don't you think that it's your day with her. I mean, it sounds like she's invited you out on a date."

Anna stares at him while her cheeks slowly turn into different shades of pink. "_Oh my god, is this a date…I didn't…I mean, sure it was the two of us, but I didn't think that…or did she? Oh god, and what if it is_?"

Kristoff laughs at Anna's expression which is somewhere between flabbergasted and mortified. "So, it isn't?"

"I don't know," Anna admits feebly. "Elsa told me about it just yesterday night. I didn't really have the chance to think much about it. I was just so happy that I could get to spend some time with her when she is not being the queen for once." Anna looks more miserable by the second. "Do you think she's mad at me?"

"I can't imagine she would be. And even if she were, she'd probably not show it. I mean, she is like ice when you are like…"

"Like fire?" Anna supplies.

"No," he deadpans. "I was thinking more like…steam."

Anna blinks before pouting, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "That's neither exactly flattering nor poetic, you know."

Kristoff chuckles and scratches his head sheepishly. "Yeah, but it's true. I mean, if you were like fire and ice you wouldn't get along the way you do. I mean, you're coming from the same source – oh, don't look at me like that, that's not what I meant! Ok, what I am trying to say is that you two faced a lot, and not just in the last couple of months, and it you just went down different roads dealing with the same. In a way you are similar, deep down. It's just that Elsa comes across as ice and you as…well. Steam." Kristoff shrugs helplessly. "I mean, when she is upset, she freezes and withdraws. When you get upset you blow off, or you ramble when you're nervous – and don't you dare say it's not true," he adds when Anna glares at the mentioning of her habit she would get rid of rather soon than later.

"I mean, you're sisters, right? So it's like you're both water. But whereas Elsa is ice that takes a while to melt even if you prod it with a hot poker, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You don't hold back like Elsa does. For Elsa, this is what she trained herself to be. But she has her wild streaks, just like you."

And Anna thinks about the energy that emanated from Elsa last night, when it felt like she was catching a glimpse of what lies beyond that calm exterior that is her sister most of the time. It feels as if there's an entire snowstorm she keeps inside, just waiting to break loose. And, truth to be told, Anna's breath has caught in her throat more than once as she takes those glimpses and imagines an unrestrained Elsa, looking at her so intently with all this energy in her eyes.

"Hey, are you ok?" Kristoff asks, softly.

"Y-Yes. I am ok. I am more than ok." Anna looks at Kristoff. "I am happy. As long as I can be with her, I'm happy."

Kristoff nods, satisfied with the answer, but frowns as Anna continues.

"But I am not sure about Elsa. I mean, she hardly gets a respite at all. She's a great queen actually, too perfect, too demanding of herself. And Kristoff, you have no idea how hard she's pushing herself, and all of this never makes her smile. So…I can't just leave her on her own. I am so sorry I haven't come to see you guys lately." Anna looks at him miserably, hoping that he understands.

"You're becoming co-regent, is that it?" Kristoff asks gently, after a pause.

Anna blinks again, a part of her wondering why Kristoff is the one who puts into words what now sounds obvious to her own ears.

"I…I guess so. I have never thought about it that way. And I mean, I never expect it to be formally declared as such. I…I guess I don't want to be the useless princess, with all those nobles asking me when I'm going to get married. And Elsa fending off suitors is hard enough, fending off mine will put extra pressure on her. I want to be there for her, help her when her life is just so stressful and regulated. I need to be there so she doesn't give herself up over her duty, when she thinks she owes it to the world or to our parents."

Anna bites her lip, surprised herself at her outburst but knowing all she said just now to be true, and avoiding Kristoff's gaze because she's not sure if she's not going to cry like a stupid child.

Kristoff looks at her with concern. "You really love her, don't you," he says. Anna nods furiously, blinking back tears at the same time. "I do. With all my heart."

Another pause.

"What if people find out?"

Anna wrings her hands, avoiding his eyes. "We're…we haven't…I mean, not yet, anyway. And I don't know when and if and what will happen if…when…we…and I don't even know exactly how…" Anna's voice trails off into an embarrassed whisper before she clears her throat. "So I guess we'll have to worry about what people will say when there IS something to worry about."

Kristoff scratches his head again. "Well, I am no expert, but Pabbie says humans have always been about the guys with the big swords. You have the sword, you make the rules. No pun intended, but I guess Elsa's sword is pretty big. I mean, she's practically an army."

Anna's brow furrows, not understanding in the least what Kristoff is trying to say and not quite liking where this is going.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Anna. What I mean is, who would dare oppose the queen if the two of you really got together? In some southern sandy country it was even common occurrence for siblings to marry and rule together at some point. And come on, our god is supposedly sleeping with half of his family anyway, not to mention Loki who does not keep his shagging to two legs. "

Anna's furrow deepens dangerously as she starts to glare at Kristoff who in turn is starting to sweat. "Wait, what I _really_ mean…if you two are ok enough rulers so that people are happy and fed and can get on with their life, and Elsa being the Ice Queen that even the Southern Islands are wetting their pants at the thought of having winter knock on their door and not going away, then there's a chance for you, right? Ok, it's going to be tough in the beginning but given time, most people won't even care anymore and just complain about…taxes or something. You know, common stuff."

Anna looks at him with big eyes now, and Kristoff breathes a sigh of relief. How come such a small girl can throw such glares (ok, don't ask, she threw a snowball at an _ice golem_ for crying out loud). Such glares should _not_ be allowed, especially not when directed towards honest, hardworking, tax-paying-if-the-Queen-had-not-exempted-ice-trade-from-taxing ice harvesters.

"Oh Kristoff…" And in the next moment, he is holding Anna who is laughing and sniffling and whose embrace threatens to really squeeze all air out of him this time.

Anna actually isn't sure that what Kristoff has said has been a good advice, or has been advice at all, or even makes sense. But it's one hell of a comfort to know that he's there, that he understands, and that he's trying to make her feel better. That she can tell him anything.

"Hey," he says, patting Anna on her back. "It'll be alright. You two now just enjoy your outing. It'll all be fine."

Ann sniffles again. "Aren't I supposed to be the optimist around here?" And Kristoff hugs her gently, reminded of his own words just how similar the sisters are, in a way.

Leaned back against a wall, with Olaf and Sven quarrelling over the last carrot_ that would look so good on me Sven, give it back, _and unnoticed by Kristoff and Anna, Elsa's eyes are fixed on the ground as her mind, again and again, replays a particular sentence that Kristoff has just said.

**Note: I love Kristoff to bits even as I totally ship Elsanna. Can't help it. At times I imagine him like Anna's socially awkward brother-in-spirit. I also tried to make him not too wise. That's neither his role nor his job.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: A short update, I am still in the process of finishing the second part, but I am not sure if I have time before the weekend to get it all done. As always, reviews and comments are more than welcome.**

The air gets cooler as Elsa and Anna continue their ascent to the mountain, not that Anna cares much when she's still debating whether she should ask or assume that this is a date. And as for Elsa…well, low temperatures are not exactly a problem as far as she is concerned.

They comment which way each one of them took in order to arrive at North Mountain, both amazed how different the scenery is with the snow gone, and both knowing that it was as far as they ever went, both having been mostly confined to the castle and immediate surroundings. Anna tells Elsa about the countries she would like to see one day, all those exotic, foreign places she has pictured in her mind, having read about them in books or soaking up the landscapes captured on canvas, some of these paintings so huge that she often thought all she needed was to step into them when she was younger.

Elsa, it seems, knows more details about the countries in question, about their history and culture, seems to speak some of their languages even. But her imagination is less detailed, less colorful, and less exciting than Anna's, and she shares knowledge and sticks to facts rather than to emotions and adventures as in Anna's description of what it would be like to visit them, regardless of how probable or improbable that is.

It leaves both of them reminded how limited their lives have been up until now, and each of them promises the other in her mind that this will change. That from now on, their lives will be much happier, much more open to the possibilities that life has to offer when all they did was have a first taste of what could be.

As the North Mountain comes closer and closer, Elsa feels herself grow restless inside until the chasm she bridged with her staircase of ice is barely half a mile away.

From atop of a smaller hill, the view is simply breathtaking.

It is high noon, and the remains of the ice palace sparkle like a diamond in the sunlight, giving the impression of a solitary, long-forgotten fairy tale of times long past. The highest tower has collapsed under the heat of summer, bringing a good part of the castle down with it. The complex architecture of rooms and hallways, sculptures and staircases is in different statuses of deterioration, with the part that is nestled against the rock still in best shape, but far from unscathed. Rivulets of water run in steady streams to disappear into the chasm in small waterfalls.

Anna, who has seen the palace in its original glory, can't help but feel sad to see its beauty coming undone. She turns to look at her sister, whose eyes are fixated on her castle, an unreadable expression on her face.

Elsa's body is rigid, back straight, and she doesn't even blink as the seconds tick by. _Too many emotions, too many memories, too much pulling inside of her, reminded of the moment when she crossed the chasm to leave her old life behind, she and her powers both free from confinement, and would solitude really be such a high price to pay for the sheer feeling of… _

Elsa blinks as a part of her registers Anna's increasingly concerned look.

"I…I expected as much, really," she says softly, and a new determination enters her eyes as she dismounts.

"Let's stay here for lunch," she continues in a forcefully cheerful tone of voice that hasn't Anna fooled for a second. The younger sister dismounts as well and walks over to her blonde sibling, taking a cool hand in her own.

"You don't have to pretend this doesn't affect you, Elsa. Please. When I came here looking for you I remember being so in awe of what you had created. It was so beautiful, more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen, and perfect and…," Anna stops herself in the last moment before she can add "solitary, "…and I knew it was _your_ doing. And you know what? In that moment I felt so proud, knowing I had a sister who was able to create something so lovely, and it made me so sad at the same time because it reminded me that I knew nothing of you at all. And I felt so scared because I…I kinda felt like an intruder, making this perfect place so imperfect. And then I called out for you and then…then I saw _you_ up on the top of the staircase, and it just took my breath away. It was like…someone had lit a light from within you. And you just seemed to belong here, never stumbling or slipping like I did and…"

Anna's eyes grow wide as realization hits her hard, making it hard to breathe.

"Oh god, Elsa," Anna whispers as Elsa's behavior from last night finally sinks in, starting to make sense. "You miss it, don't you. You miss this place."

And Elsa, who has avoided Anna's gaze the entire time, starts trembling.


	6. Chapter 6

_High above the world, the sunset is glorious. Snow-covered mountaintops stretch on towards the horizon, bathed in an orange-golden glow when far below in Arendelle, the sun has already set long ago. There is finality to being here, with just a tinge of regret and sadness at what she's leaving behind. Her sister will be better off without her, will finally be safe, her life no longer overshadowed by Elsa's existence. _

_Oh, if only she had known what it would be like. If she had, she'd stolen herself away long ago, never to come back. Life is rushing through her body as if a dam has finally broken, too many emotions to recognize them all, but all of them lifting her higher than she ever thought possible. There is no cold, there is just pure, unadulterated joy at feeling herself for what seems like the first time, and at what her own self can bring forward without fear of consequences._

_And there is pride in what she can create, and never mind that she is the only one to appreciate it. It just feels right, so right. No one can, no one _will_ take this away from her, and to hell with what she's supposed to be – a queen, a ruler, a monarch – when the whirling snow envelopes her in a gentle, fearless embrace the way a human never could._

Elsa smiles her slight, rueful smile as she tries to put into words the flood of emotions that her dream, her memories, always entails. It is strange to try and voice what is so intimately hers, even to her sister, who is sitting on the ground beside her, listening and for once not uttering a word, letting Elsa set the pace. Oh, there is more to the dream, but it's an almost physical strain to just speak of this part, a precarious balance of baring the soul and careful choice of words for fear of hurting the most precious person in your life.

"You have to understand, Anna," Elsa says, lifting her gaze that has rested on the melting ice palace during her narration. "When I was fourteen I had already convinced myself that I would spend my entire life alone. To not hope for anything else and just accept it as an unshakable fact. It...as strange as this may sound to you, it gave me a form of comfort. I knew what I had to do, because the alternative was so much worse. Isolating myself seemed such a small price to pay compared to hurting anyone, or seeing the sadness in our parent's eyes when they again had to witness that I was not able to control my powers. And then, here, I realized that the isolation had not been the worst thing after all. It was people's expectations, and my fears of what would happen if they ever got confronted by my powers. By…who I am. And suddenly, being alone wasn't a bad thing at all, not up here. "

She takes a deep breath. "Because there is a difference between isolating yourself when you are surrounded by people and being alone when you know no one is there to judge you, hate you, or be disappointed in you."

Elsa turns her head. Anna's holds her gaze, the usually bubbly girl the epitome of the attentive listener, just waiting for what Elsa is willing to share with her. Elsa feels a lump build in her throat.

"I know you saved me from all of that, Anna. And it feels so unfair that I still long for this place when you did all this for me. When you were willing to die for me. I just…maybe I just need more time. I am trying Anna, I really am. But this is so hard to just wipe away all my convictions during my childhood, all of what I thought would never change but held me together. It sounds like I just want to disappear to be on my own, but I swear I will never leave you again. There is nothing I want more than to be with you. But sometimes I...I just…"

The blonde squeezes her eyes shut as her voice starts to falter. "You know I love you more than anything. You do, do you?" she whispers, hoping, no _needing,_ for Anna to understand.

There is silence for a long moment. And then Elsa feels Anna's head come to rest on her shoulder in that sweet, all-too-familiar gesture. One of Anna's arms wraps around her waist, bringing their bodies into even closer contact, and they both watch the spectacle of cascading melt water for some time before Anna starts speaking.

"When I go to sleep, I sometimes wonder if I'll wake up the next morning to find out that this is all a dream. That you're still behind that closed door. That I find that you either hate or loathe me, that you have no need of me, that you don't want me in your life."

Elsa turns her head sharply to stare at her sister who continues to gaze at the melting ice palace, a small, somewhat afflicted smile on her face as she snuggles closer, causing Elsa to instinctively wrap one arm around her in return.

"And sometimes I wonder what my big sister thinks of her clumsy, rambling little sister, who has no special skills or talents, who isn't half as smart, responsible or beautiful as she is. Will she eventually send me away, or find love with someone else, someone who is perfect in every way, just like she is? A sister who thinks she loves me…more than a sister" Here, Anna's voice momentarily drops out of her pattern before continuing. "But only because of the long separation, or maybe because she has yet to kiss someone else?"

Anna turns her head to look up into her sister's eyes, who is still staring at her in shock, a thousand words screaming to be uttered to make Anna see how WRONG she is. She cups Anna's face in both hands in a, for a moment, uncanny reproduction of when Anna was frozen solid. "Anna…," Elsa starts, but then the younger girl mimics Elsa, taking the blonde's face in her hands in return, tilts her head the slightest bit and closes the short distance between them, initiating their second kiss.

It is sweet, and soft, and when lips start moving against each other all last trace of wondering about what their relationship could be like vanishes in favor of certainty. Anna gasps and pulls Elsa closer when her sister's tongue starts to seek entrance into her mouth, a first tentative exploration of someone who is entirely guided by feeling rather than experience. The redhead buries one hand in Elsa's hair, kissing back harder, and the soft kiss turns into one of need, now driven by arousal rather than affection. She straddles Elsa's lap without breaking the kiss and feels her sister's arm envelope her.

As with all things that are Elsa, Anna can't help think that she's also the perfect kisser. Not that Anna has that much experience, but Elsa the way their lips and tongues move together is delicate, empathic, and untainted from the awkwardness born from uncertainty, and even though it is Elsa who is leading the kiss, it is Anna who invites her to deepen it until both of them are left gasping for air.

Elsa who looks up at her sister, and Anna marvels at the intensity of her gaze where she again can catch glimpses of how Elsa is when she lets go of all that is holding her back. She bites her lip at a strange tightening between her legs at the sight of it, far stronger than the warm, pleasurable sensation she felt while they were kissing.

"I love you." It is Elsa who says it first, this time. She plants another kiss on Anna's lips – _I love you_ – followed by another to her cheek, her jawline, until Elsa trails soft pecks down Anna's neck, nuzzling the skin there, and Anna gasps as another surge runs through her body. "Elsaaaa…"

Elsa stops and they look at each other, faces flushed and braided hair disheveled and both faces break into happy smiles as they hug each other tightly, feeling as if there is something important, something vital, they have accomplished together just now. Elsa breathes in the scent of Anna, relaxed and unburdened at peace for the first time in weeks. Anna inhales deeply, feeling light-headed, not that she cares, just absorbing the sensation of Elsa's slim body against hers.

They hold each other for a while, Anna still straddling Elsa's lap, enjoying the intimacy of the moment with Elsa brushing her lips against Anna's neck in what is again more affection than passion.

Anna combs back Elsa's bangs from her forehead. Her sister's eyes are still sparkling, a deep blue, and Anna, excitement still coursing through her body and reminded of last night, blurts out. "Let's go to your ice palace. I want to see how you rebuild it, and I want to see how your eyes light up when you use your powers. Elsa, I want all of you, I don't want you to hold back in any way. Do you have any idea how you look like when nothing is holding you back, when there is all that energy around you that just begs to be released? It's just you and me here. Please."

A part of Elsa, even after the kiss, supplies several reasons why this is not a good idea, and she isn't sure she really wants to rebuild the palace, and shouldn't it just melt away as a symbol that she should leave that part of her past behind as well, and can she make sure that Anna will not be harmed…

She looks into her sister's eyes, and the exhilaration she is feeling may even start to compare to the one in her dreams.  
"Let's go!"

**Note:  
Thank you for all the reviews, guys. If you think this is more or less the ending, you're wrong though. Far from it. We will have a character death in the next chapter, even.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

They leave the horses behind to graze. The sound of the small waterfalls becomes louder as they walk towards the chasm that separates them from the melting ice palace. Elsa closes her eyes for a moment, takes in a deep breath. Her thoughts have calmed down, after the kiss, the pulling inside her quietened by Anna's presence. It seems that all it takes is for Elsa to open up and Anna to just _be_ there for her troubles to be vanquished. Turning herself inside out is not something that comes natural exactly to Elsa – to share herself, to burden her sister with her own insecurities and doubts. To hear Anne voice her fears – of a kind Elsa would never, ever have expected – has Elsa know that Anna understands, more than any reassurance on the redhead's part could ever have achieved. With her deeply engrained mistrust or outright rejection of her own feelings, it takes her heart more than the rational knowledge that there is no disaster following their exposure or the pursuit of them.

Standing here now in front of her homestead of only few hours (_but it was hers, and hers alone_, the voice still whispers in the far back of her mind) is not like she imagined it to be, but then again, at the time she had not imagined Anna to be there by her side either. At this short distance, the palace looks more and more like coalesced lumps of ice of different shapes, but there is an excitement to show Anna this place she originally built to spend her life in.

Elsa knows Anna's eyes on her as she extends her hand and summons a new bridge that closes the gap between the two large rocks. There is a strange sort of satisfaction in finding that the design of the new bridge is different from the previous one. The shape of her creations are more often than not a spontaneous expression of the moment, are solid manifests of far less tangible thoughts and emotions, and far less rational, intentional or calculated compared to her actions when she is a queen; when she carefully fleshes out letters to statesmen or has to handle negotiations with conflicting parties. This crossing is still beautiful, with simple reliefs depicting little snowmen adorning the railing, but sturdier, practical, the surface not as slippery smooth as its predecessor, but now covered by a layer of crunching snow that will prevent Anna's feet from slipping. Nevertheless, she takes Anna's hand as they step onto the bridge, and Anna's fingers intertwine with her own.

She conjures a pathway of hard snow to lead them up to the half-collapsed entrance of the palace so they avoid the muddy, water-soaked ground. And the first thing that Elsa does is to stabilize the entrance, growing new walls and pillars out of nowhere. There is no point in risking Anna's safety with the ice palace in its current state, with tons of ice threatening to come crushing down. And as they start to venture deeper into the building, the constant dripping of water from the ceiling stops as the ice is again frozen solid.

Once inside the main hall, it is hard to believe that this was once home to the Ice Queen of Arendelle, for whatever short a time. The atmosphere of quiet solitude in midst beautiful architecture is gone, replaced by bright sunlight and the sounds of the outside world. Delicate, meticulous designs that previously embellished the interior of the palace have become unrecognizable, and the slender staircases and archways have collapsed or thawed.

This is so different from the silent, awe-inspiring interior where Anna could hear her own heartbeat, where time itself seemed frozen solid in different shades of blue. This is not Elsa's palace, just melting ice, Anna realizes, no matter how impressive the construction may still have looked from afar. With its soul gone it once harbored, this place could not do otherwise but to deteriorate.

Her sister seems to entertain similar thoughts, but she doesn't look as torn as when the palace first came into view though Anna glances surreptitiously at her sister from time to time, half-expecting to see the look of longing back on her face. There is something that is not quite at peace within Elsa. And the girl wonders if it is the Queen of Arendelle or the Ice Queen that, even though neither of them makes Elsa whole, has the stronger hold over her sister.

Elsa lets her gaze wander, and feels her connection to this place melt away. The face she'd given the longing inside her will be gone soon, the one associated with the strain of responsibility and of too much human interaction that Elsa is still far from being accustomed to. If it is to be replaced by another, she doesn't know.

"I guess this is it, then," Elsa finally says. There is no hurt in her voice, just calm acceptance. "If I ever escape again, the next one will have to be different," she adds after a pause with a wink to show Anna that it is said in jest.

"You won't re-build it? Anna asks, disappointed, almost pouting. "I had hoped to see you do your magic, and not the little tricks you perform here and there to entertain Arendelle or guests of honor. You know…the real thing."

Anna catches Elsa looking at her with big eyes.

"Elsa...?"

A sudden recollection plays in front of Elsa's inner eye. _Do the magic, do the magic, Elsa._ The way her little sister's eyes light up, her mouth forming a small "O", as Elsa conjures a sparkling snowball for her.

Elsa's heart still tightens at the memory of that day, that _night_, memories that are lost to Anna. The look of raptured wonder in her sister's eyes, not thinking of her powers as weird in the least, never afraid, just thinking about the wonderful things she can do. Anna's feelings towards her powers have not changed the least, even after all those years, even after what Elsa did to her.

"Elsa…?" Anna repeats, not sure what to make of Elsa smiling at her with a treacherous glimmer in the corner of her eyes.

"It's nothing…," Elsa answers, stepping closer and cupping Anna's face once more. "I am happy. I am happy to have you." She places a soft kiss on Anna's lips that is over before Anna can react and draw it out (_dammit!_).

Elsa steps back, a twinkle in her eyes as an idea forms in her mind. "Well then, in this case I just have to do something no one has ever seen before – something only the Princess of Arendelle has the privilege to enjoy."

Before Anna can ask, a thin, transparent wall of ice rises from the ground at Elsa's command. The blonde's brow is furrowed in concentration, trying to find the balance between freeze and melt, and the surface of the ice starts to ripple and shift, seemingly alive as it bows to the Queen's whim.

Anna gasps in surprise.

There is a flat landscape coming to life on the ice, dotted by strange-looking trees, grass stretching towards the horizon and despite the cold, Anna can almost feel the heat of the sun as it burns down on the plain. There is four-legged animal striding through the grass, bearing some resemblance to a cat despite its bigger size and thick mane. _A lion._

The picture changes, ice melting, coalescing and freezing again and again. There are people walking through narrow streets while in the background a huge cathedral rises into the sky._ The cathedral of Milano._

It is all there. All the places Anna told Elsa about earlier this morning, and now she sees her imagination coming to life on her sister's icy canvas. It is beautiful beyond imagining, and Anna can feel herself falling for Elsa, for her sister, all over again.

When the display finally comes to an end and the moving ice stills in a depiction of Anna standing on the planks of a ship entering a harbor, the redhead is unable to move for a long moment.

"I take you liked this?" Elsa says, her voice failing to conceal the smugness-tinged glee at seeing her sister at a loss for words.

"Oh Elsa…"

The kiss – their fourth one – that Anna initiates immediately grows deep as she kisses her sister with all the desire and adoration she can muster. Which is a lot and leaves the older girl's head spinning and her knees buckling.

"Promise me we'll have more days such as this. Whether it's up here or somewhere else, I don't care. But promise me," Anna whispers insistently when the kiss finally ends.

Elsa, still trying to catch her breath, nods. "I promise."

Anna sighs contently, leaning into Elsa embrace. "You know, escaping to this place holds a lot of appeal to me now. It's the first day I have you all to myself. I don't want to think about having to go back. Not when you have to return being the dedicated monarch."

"There is no helping it I guess," Elsa replies as he holds Anna close. "But this dedicated monarch has the aid of the princess. Seriously, you have been a big help these past few weeks, Anna. Thank you."

With Anna beaming at her, the thoughts that have formed in Elsa's mind since she heard Kristoff and Anna talk almost make their way out, but the queen decides to leave this for later.

"Let's explore the rest of the palace before we go back."

Anna is holding on to her sister, insisting that she will slip if she doesn't, and Elsa would not dream of contradicting. The future, Elsa decides, holds more than responsibility and trying to do the right thing. It holds Anna, quite literally.

They laugh and giggle, with Anna still glowing in excitement over the previous demonstration of Elsa's powers (_how did you do that Elsa, I can't believe you remember all the details!_) so that Anna almost does tumble when Elsa suddenly stops dead in her tracks.

"No…please, no."

In the part of the castle which is most protected from the sun, but not protected enough, lays a heap of half-melted snow on an otherwise icy floor. Snow, not ice.

Elsa lets go of Anna's arm.

It is not easy to recognize the snow golem that Elsa built as her guardian; the contours appear disfigured and disproportional, but are unmistakable. The royal crown rests somewhere on top of the heap, half-sunken into the melted snow. Elsa sinks to her knees in front of her creation, face contorted in anguish. "I am sorry…I am so sorry," she whispers, touching what is left of Marshmallow.

Anna watches her sister, saddened to see Elsa's grief. Not that she was on good terms with the golem the last time she saw him, but she knows that the golem protected her sister. She often wondered what would have happened to Olaf had Elsa not saved him from the same fate as the giant ice creature. She bites her lip.

"I…I threw a snowball at him, you know. When he kicked us out. I was so angry, but…but I know that he defended you." Anna pauses, unsure what to say, but then adds "Elsa, this isn't your fault."

Elsa touches the heap of snow in what may very well be a caress. The words come slowly and in a whisper.

"The guards told me that he shattered falling into the chasm. I…I didn't know he was alive, I would have come here sooner, I would have…And when I asked them to retrieve the crown they said they were not able to find. He must have hidden from them…retreated here to protect himself from the heat."

"I didn't protect him. I just let him die."

Elsa's hand is shaking is she trails her fingers over what is left of the ice golem, and there is a shimmer in the air before the rest of him dissolves. The second part of her dream, the one she hasn't even started telling Anna about, begins to make sense. Elsa rises to her feet, the shimmer surrounding her for a moment before dissipating.

"Anna, I have to tell you something, it's about the dream I had of this place. It's…"

Elsa is interrupted by the penetrating sound of a signal horn, followed by the shouting of a voice coming from outside the palace.

"Queen Elsa, you have to return to the castle as soon as possible. A delegation from the Northern Alliance is due to arrive any moment. They say there is going to be war."

**Note: I am very sorry, it took longer than expected to update. Thanks a lot to all of you for the follows, favorites and reviews. This is what makes me put down into words what already is inside my head. Honestly, thank you for that, and I hope you enjoyed.**


	8. Chapter 8

It is amazing, Anna thinks, how quickly Elsa is able to switch back to her queenly demeanor, namely effortlessly and seemingly at will and. They rush back towards the palace entrance, but Elsa's feet seem immune to the slippery floor and she is already speaking to the guard who brought them the message when Anna finally catches up with her sister. The past few hours are all but wiped away, all of a sudden.

"…Henrik is currently dealing with Gunarsson," she hears the guard say. "It seems he has been sent as the mouthpiece of the Alliance. The other leaders are due to arrive in a couple of days."

"So we still have time?" Elsa asks. She's calm, composed and the total opposite of how Anna is feeling right now. Then again, Anna has never been good at controlling her feelings.

"Yes. The Northern Alliance will want to impart their war plans to the Queen of Arendelle personally, and ask for Arendelle's stance."

"Ask…," Elsa huffs. She gives out a short laugh that is totally devoid of humor. "Thank you, Torben. You go ahead and tell Henrik we'll be back at the palace soon. I want to meet with him the moment we arrive. You said it was only Gunarsson at this point?"

"Yes, your Majesty," the guard confirms. "He arrived only a few hours ago with a small retinue from Gent. It seems he brought part of his family with him, too."

Elsa frowns, but doesn't comment and the messenger bows and turns on his heel, leaving the queen and the princess alone.

Elsa's face does not betray her thoughts, though her jaw is tightly clenched. Anna fidgets, waits for Elsa to speak, to say something. But when Elsa doesn't, it is her who breaks the silence.

"Gunarsson…isn't he the dignitary from Gent? The one who visited Arendelle just a couple of weeks ago, the one who almost got a heart attack over Olaf?"

Elsa nods curtly.

"Yes. He's small nobility in Gent, but he is the privy councilor to both Gent and the Northern Alliance and well versed in the diplomatic affairs. I had the feeling something was brewing when both Gent and Ashken came to "pay their respects" – the quotation marks couldn't be more obvious in Elsa's voice – to the ruler of Arendelle. But I didn't expect they would be preparing for war."

"But it's not a war against Arendelle, is it?" Anna asks nervously, praying that what she caught from the conversation proves true. Elsa shakes her head.

"No, not against us, thank god. I have a pretty good idea though who their target it, but Gunarsson will have to officially confirm it. However, they will want to know Arendelle on their side when they attack."

As relieved as Anna may be to hear this, her sister's serious expression is reason enough to still feel uneasy. She thinks of the piles of official letters from statesmen that Elsa had increasingly grown worried over, and only now she realizes the true extent of Elsa's concerns, and the reasons she often stayed up until late to discuss formal replies with Henrik, her chief advisor.

"Elsa…," Anna starts, but she is interrupted by her sister who turns to face her fully.

"Anna, before we head back I need to ask you something. And I want you to be honest. I will accept whatever choice you make as long as it is yours, and yours alone. Don't think about what I might want, or not want, or expect of you. I need your answer to be about you and you alone. Promise me that."

Anna looks at her sister with big eyes. Elsa's insistent, intense gaze allows no other response.

"I promise," she says after a moment, in a small but firm voice. And then again, louder this time. "Yes, I promise, Elsa."

Elsa nods slowly. She places her hands on Anna's shoulders, locking eyes with her.

"Do you accept the position of Arendelle's co-regent?"

Anna's jaw drops as her eyes widen. "Elsa, did you hear what Kristoff and I…?"

"Yes Anna, I did. I didn't mean to eavesdrop at the time, but I have been thinking about it ever since. I was going to ask you after we return, and give you enough time to consider, to think this through. But given the current situation, I am not sure we have the luxury of time. It will have to be now, because who knows what happens later."

Anna looks into her Elsa's eyes. Her sister is trying her best to keep her face perfectly straight, to not give away any hint of what she's feeling, allowing her younger sibling to make her own, if pressed for time, decision.

As if it really were a decision when Ana already knows the answer.

"Yes. Yes, Elsa, I accept," she says, putting all determination she's capable of into that answer.

"And therefore, I need to ask you something in return. And I want you to be honest with me, the way I have been with you just now."

Elsa looks surprised, not having expected this.

"Of course. Anything."

"Do you accept me? Do you really want to give me a position of such importance, even when I have no experience in being a ruler whatsoever? I need to know you're not offering me this because you think you need to appease me."

Anna steps closer, lowering the tone of her voice, but not the intensity. Quite the contrary. "I need you to need me, Elsa. And I need you to know that if you accept me, then I'm here to stay. I couldn't bear that you'd disappear on me, or that our ways would be separated again."

A weight seems to lift off of Elsa's shoulders. Her expression softens as her hand cups Anna's cheek. "I need you. God, Anna…you have no idea how much, and I get the impression you have no idea of your abilities. I just feel so selfish for wanting you by my side, endangering you by dragging you into this responsiblity..."

This time it is Anna who cuts off her sister. "Don't go there, Elsa. Honestly, don't go there. And I mean it. As you said, this is my decision. Whatever lies ahead, we'll face it together. We'll be there for each other the way it should be."

Uncertaintly, amazement, and finally, deep affection alternate on Elsa's features. She hugs her sister wordlessly, and they stay in the tight embrace for a while. And as they make their way back to Arendelle, neither one of them casts a look back at the again melting ice palace.

Elsa fills Anna in about the Northern Alliance on their way back.

"The Northern Alliance is actually but a loose conglomerate of northern nations that claim common ancestry and cultural heritage. The most important nations in the alliance are Gent, Ashken and Valdar. But this is as far as it goes, or at least until recently. We and other small kingdoms never officially formed part of it. We are…we _were_ just too small to be considered important. Valdar, as you know, is the country that lies most of the East and borders Rashdar, which…let's say, has a different cultural heritage though it's a northern country like ours. The border dispute between Valdar and Rashdar has stretched on for centuries, but Rashdar has been the more powerful neighbor in the past decades. They won several wars on their southern and eastern border. Maybe Rashdar is now looking west."

"But isn't the Queen of Valdar originally from Rashdar?"

Elsa laughs her humorless laughter again.

"She is, but it's said she's not exactly on good terms with her home country. Or her family. So instead of appeasing the dispute, rumor has it that she is the one fanning it."

Anna frowns. "Wasn't her marriage the one mom and dad were going to attend when the ship sank three years ago?"

"Yes, that's right."

Anna is silent for a while, letting what Elsa told her sink in.

"And all these letters you told me about. When you said that Arendelle wouldn't be left alone now. Have you…anticipated this?"

Elsa sighs. "Not to this extent, and not so soon, no. But there were…hints. More or less subtle clues. But yes, in one way or another, I had the feeling that something like this would happen. If not with the Northern Alliance, then somebody else. They have moved quicker, that is all."

Another pause.

"This is not about Arendelle. This is about you, isn't it? About your powers," Anna asks in a way that makes it clear that it is more a statement than a question.

"I am not naïve enough to believe that it is not," Elsa replies, quietly. There is bitterness in her voice as she continues.

"Father should never have followed the tradition of the firstborn. Had I been able to keep my powers hidden it would have earned me the image of the misanthropic monarch, that's all. But Arendelle is too small and vulnerable to have a regent with powers such as mine. If not for me, there would be no reason to involve us beyond a small support to the war efforts – supplies, or a ship or two. We don't even have an army, Anna. There was no need for it, never."

Elsa looks at Anna, a helpless resignation in her eyes that pains the younger girl more than she can say. The territory becomes less steep, and they spur their horses into a gallop.

They find the stable master waiting for the in the castle yard, and Elsa hands over the reins of her horse with a short nod of gratitude. Henrik, Elsa's chief advisor, is waiting at the doorstep. Anna knows him as a calm, level-headed man in his fifties who already served as chief advisor to her father. He sailed the high seas when we was a young man, seeking fame and fortune as the second son of one of Arendelle's minor nobility, and it is his experience with foreign cultures that have made him a kind, farsighted man as much as they also made him disillusioned about the nature of man. He could have settled down in any of the large countries down in the south where the weather would be kinder to a man of his age. But he chose Arendelle, for reasons that are his own.

He bows before Elsa and the princess, a formality that he insists on.

"Your Majesty, Gunarsson is waiting to be summoned to the throne room. I suggest you meet with him immediately after you've changed. I already arranged for an official dinner that, may I suggest, Princess Anna needs not to attend, and…"

_Ouch_. Anna winces inwardly at the indirect reprimand. She didn't behave like a princess should all those times, did she. What if her behavior somehow puts Elsa into…

Elsa interrupts both Henrik's words as well as Anna's inner train of thought. "Henrik, please tell Gunarsson that the _princess and I_ will meet him in thirty minutes," she says and takes Anna's hand into her own even as her eyes are still on Henrik. "But not in the throne room, we'd lose an evening of getting to the core of what Gunarsson has to say if we start with official formalities that he so adheres to; such as him paying his respects to the queen."

Hernik raises his eyebrow the slightest bit – it is hard to say if it is because of the queen's decision that the princess be present at a meeting of such magnitude, or because of the way she is holding the princess' hand or because of her decision to skip protocol. It may be a combination of the three.

"I will inform him of this, your Majesty," he replies before bowing and leaving, but not before his eyes linger on Anna's for a moment, pensively. Anna gulps, not knowing why she is feeling defensive all of a sudden. And as she and Elsa make their way to their chambers, Anna grows increasingly nervous. She's never been good at formalities, but what Arendelle needs now is Elsa's composed, sensible demeanor and not a princess who, in a moment of agitation, may start rambling again and very well end up telling the alliance to stick their war up their jumper. Anna can feel her knees grow weak - and not in a good way.

"Anna. Anna, are you alright?"

The redhead looks up to find Elsa looking at her with concern.

"I…Yes, I am fine. Of course I am fine. Why do you ask?" she manages to squeak, cursing her hitched breathing.

"Because you're squeezing my hand very hard and it's starting to hurt."

Anna immediately lets go of Elsa. "Oh my god, I am sorry. I hadn't noticed. I am okay, just…a little nervous. Yes, that's it. But it's okay. I…I will just have to keep my mouth shut during the meeting. I can do that, you know. And…and you can kick my shin under the table if I do something stupid. And…and why are you smiling at me?"

Indeed, Elsa is smiling. Not one of her slight, sad smiles, or her bitter ones, or melancholic ones. It's a genuine smile that lights up her blue eyes.

"I love you, Anna."

**Note: I will again have to split this chapter in two because I haven't quite finished writing the second part. I am sorry for that! **

**One could say that this this is where the actual story begins, though the previous chapters contain a lot of elements that will come up again, including the part of the dream that Elsa has not yet disclosed.**

**If you like it, still like it, or if you just want to let me know your thoughts at this stage, please leave a review. This story has an awful lot of visits (yay, thanks so much!), but not so many reviews. I also apologize for the typos/grammar and that my English may sound awkward. As I said, I am no native speaker.**


	9. Chapter 9

"I love you, Anna," Elsa repeats. Anna's heart flutters at her words, even though they seem strangely out of context given her sweating hands and nauseous stomach.

Elsa hugs her younger sister, holds her close.

"I know you're nervous, but don't be. And I know this is intimidating, but don't think you will do anything wrong."

Anna's body relaxes into the embrace, and she breathes in her sister's scent – like freshly fallen snow on a sunny winter morning. She feels…a bit less awkward now, she just hopes that Elsa knows what she got herself into with Anna as the second ruler of Arendelle. Anna tightens the embrace, murmurs a choked "thank you" to which Elsa only smiles, kissing the top of her head. They separate a little, and Elsa lifts Anna's chin gently.

"I may be the Queen of Arendelle, Anna. But now, so are you. But as opposed to me, you are the hero of the kingdom. The one who went to save her people without a moment of hesitation. The one who against all odds thawed the Ice Queen's eternal winter. The one who sacrificed herself to protect the sorceress who was responsible for freezing her heart and killing her."

There is still guilt in Elsa's voice as she says those words, but she places a finger against Anna's lips when her sister is about to protest.

"I know you have forgiven me…God, you never even blamed me for any of it. What's more, you are still here, with me. But all I said is true, and people know it, and they spin their own tales about it. To this day you have not realized the reputation you have, and I love you all the more for it. But you and I are equal, Anna. And if anyone is to bow they should bow before you, not me. I am the queen by birthright. You became Arendelle's protector by deed. Remember that."

The gaze with which Elsa locks eyes with Anna is as gentle as it is serious. After a long moment, Anna nods slowly, too overcome by emotion to answer despite all the words that are currently rushing through her mind.

"You'll do fine. WE will do fine. Now go get changed, they are waiting for us."

Anna nods again. "I'll come to you room and get you when I am ready."

And to Anna, to say these simple words and disappear into her own quarters, and to overcome her reluctance to leave Elsa's side, somehow feels like a big accomplishment.

* * *

Anna sits down on her bed for a moment to calm her thoughts. She takes a deep breath, tries to dissipate the dizziness over the flood of emotions inside. There has been, there *is* no time to digest what has happened in the past few hours – Elsa's confession, their second, but somehow first kiss, the melting palace, the joy of Elsa's display of power, the ice golem, the impending war, her new position. And, above everything else and the center of it all, Elsa.

She wishes Elsa were with her now and not on the other side of the wall. Against all rational thought, a part of Anna still fears a new separation from her sister. That she could once again be gone from her life. As if the world were just waiting to turn on them once more and keep them apart.

_"But now we are adults, and we make our own choices. I won't leave Elsa alone again to deal with everything and think it's all her responsibility. I have waited for her for so long only to learn that all she wanted was to protect me."_

Anna sighs. Only a few hours ago it seemed that what lay ahead was the final piece to the happy ending they both deserve. It was just at their fingertips, only to be snatched away by a belligerent alliance. What if they force Elsa to go to war, what if she is forced to kill people? What if her life will be in danger? And what of Arendelle? Will it have to fear revenge when the queen brings suffering in its name?

The redhead buries her head in her hands. "_And what about us."_

Again, only a few hours ago the thought Anna was most nervous about was to ask Elsa if they could again share a room, like when they were kids. Though to be honest her thoughts were less innocent than that. Anna still isn't quite sure how one becomes the lover of another woman even (what's more, whom you still love as a sister no matter if you feel you never want to stop kissing her – and does that even make sense to anyone but her?), but the yearning for physical contact is now stronger than ever, especially after the kisses they have shared that leave little doubt of the desire they have for each other. Despite her lack of first-hand experience, she has enough theoretical knowledge to know what it means when a woman lies with a man. And she wonders if Elsa has given this any thought already, or at some stage. Again, she wishes her sister were with her now.

And then a look of determination appears on Anna's face. She will not disappoint her sister with all this pointless thinking, not when Elsa has such faith in her. With knowing that Elsa is waiting for her on the other side of the wall, that she needs her – there is nothing that Anna couldn't or wouldn't do. Or at least, sure as hell try as best she can.

She gets up and walks over to the cheval mirror. She gazes at her own reflection pensively. She is still wearing her simple dress. A few loose strands stand out from the two braids she usually wears her rebellious hair in. Her freckled, slightly tanned skin that Elsa finds so attractive.

There is a faint smudge of dirt on her cheek. Not really a surprise considering she's just come back from a trip to the mountains. She continues to gaze at her reflection for a moment longer before she takes a piece of cloth to wash her face. Then, with growing resolve, she unbraids her hair. It falls down way past her shoulders. Anna looks at the face staring back at her, then looks down at the largely unused utensils on her dressing table.

"_Yes_", she thinks. "_That should do._"

* * *

Inside her room, Elsa feels the strength she's shown ever since the messenger caught up with them at North Mountain waning. Hugging her chest she starts pacing, something she has not done ever since she kicked Anna and Kristoff out of the ice castle.

_Anna…the palace…Anna's soft lips…Marshmallow…the golden shimmer as she releases him…the tugging inside her as she kisses Anna…the snow calling out to her…the excited look on Anna's face as Elsa paints on the icy canvas…Arendelle...Anna…_

And then, in midst all this flood of thoughts that race through her mind, something starts rising within her as the pacing continues as she is unable to contain the flood of emotions rushing through her.

Anger.

Anger that, a part of her rationalizes, is not directed at anyone in particular. It is anger towards the world in general, towards father for putting her on the throne, anger at statesmen and their scheming and politics, and, ultimately, anger at her own helplessness over the fact that no matter what she does, her life and fate will always be shaped by the ugly side of her powers.

She fights down tears of frustration at the memory of Anna's latest excitement over powers, how she seems to be the only one to appreciate the beauty in them when everyone else seems to think of them as an entertainment at best, and at worst a danger, a deadly threat or a weapon to be directed at others out of sheer calculation.

It is not fair. It is so not _fair_.

Elsa doesn't even notice that the temperature is dropping, that her room is starting to be covered by a light crust of ice.

She faces herself in the mirror. Her skin seems even paler than usual as disdain, anguish, anger, all of these emotions are reflected back at her.

Still watching herself, she undresses. Only then Elsa becomes aware of the cold, and with a grim smile she wills it to sleep, to recede back into herself. Asleep, but waiting for a moment of weakness – or a moment of exhilaration – to break out of her.

The dress that slowly materializes on her skin is a dark blue, with meticulously sharp and symmetric patterns and small ice crystals finely woven into the frosty garment that reflect the light in cold, silvery hue. Elsa watches as it grows along her arms and legs first, encloses her naked form. So much of Elsa relishes the direct caress of pure ice on her skin. She feels the defiance well up inside her, the one she felt as she built her ice palace, that she was building a world and a life just meant for her, where her powers were only meant for her and no one else. A wild grin spreads across her features and she balls her hand into a fist, the sound of hundred tiny crystals crackling around it like tiny whispers. And isn't the Ice Queen as much a queen in her own right…

A noise makes her turn around the moment the last of the ice dress covers parts of her body that need covering.

Anna is standing in the doorway.

"I…I am sorry. I should've knocked," she says, flushing.

Elsa's expression immediately softens upon seeing Anna. She feels her own cheeks flushing, self-consciousness and arousal to be blamed for this in equal measure. And winter retreats willingly now, not reluctantly, while the Ice Queen…Elsa…takes in Anna's form.

Anna looks…different. She is wearing one of her formal, green dresses that reaches down to her feet but leaves her shoulders bare. But it is not the dress that has caused the change, or the earrings she is wearing or the necklace. It is Anna's face.

For the first time since they were children, Elsa sees Anna with her hair undone. It is long, rich and wavy and almost reaches down to her waist. Even from this distance, it is evident that the girl is wearing makeup. There is a hint of rouge and of lipstick and eye shadow that, together with her hair undone, make her seem older. Less the free-spirited girl and more a young, beautiful noblewoman.

"Anna…," Elsa starts, then pauses, unsure herself what to say.

"You look stunning."

"Thank you. So do you," Anna replies, not sure if she has just detected a pang of sadness in her sister's compliment or if it is just her imagination.

"Is this…a new ice dress?" she continues as she walks over to Elsa. Elsa notices that her sister now reaches up to her own height, which means that she must be wearing heels. "It looks great on you. A bit dark I suppose. But it really looks lovely."

Elsa blushes, suddenly ashamed of her own earlier anger, and blushing even more when Anna runs her fingers over the hem of her dress which starts just at the swell of her breasts. Anna can't help but be awed how Elsa's skin feels cold now, without a trace of the warmth her body radiated when they kissed or held hands earlier. And yet, Anna clearly feels Elsa holding her breath under her fingertips. For some reason, the reaction makes her very happy.

"It's cold," Elsa whispers, sounding almost apologetic, but Anna shakes her head.

"I don't mind. This is not keeping me away from you. And you know, you always look very awe-inspiring in your ice dresses."

Elsa chuckles and reaches out to run her fingers through Anna's wavy, reddish-brown hair.

"You are letting it down?" she asks.

Anna just shrugs. "I felt that now was a good moment. I think I am at a point to outgrow the braids. Though I don't deny they are much more practical. But you can't have a co-regent look like a girl, can you?"

She cups her sister's cool cheek. "And before you take it the wrong way. This is a good thing. This is exactly where I want to be. It means a lot to me that you are letting us face this together, and that you're not trying to keep me away, even if to protect me."

"I still feel a bit selfish for it. But thank you. It is good to hear that."

Elsa covers Anna's hand with her own, turns her head and kisses the inside of her palm. Now it is Anna's breath that hitches at the soft touch of Elsa's lips. And she can see Elsa looking at her with a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

"Shall we go…your Majesty?" The queen curtsies before Anna and offers her arm to her sister to which Anna answers with a giggle.

Anna links her arm with Elsa's cold one. She is ready as she'll ever be.

"Let's go, your Majesty."

_"And you better let me sleep in your room tonight."_

* * *

**Note:** I am so sorry it took so long to update, unfortunately there were good reasons that kept me from finishing the chapter. Thank you all for your patience and kind words in the meantime. It means a lot to me.

On a **sidenote**: I have given the physical aspect of Elsanna's relationship and how to approach it a lot of thought. In the end, I decided to take a slower approach than originally intended. I keep reminding myself that in this scenario, people didn't have internet or TV, and whatever you learned about sex at the time was between peers of the same age or what you witnessed. Since Elsa and Anna have been brought up isolated and basically secluded, I would imagine them both having very theoretical knowledge about physical intimacy when it comes to a man and a woman. But two women? Not that they are naïve, but they will have to figure out a lot on their own. It is also appealing to develop as a writer. And yes, I fully intend to make this M very soon.


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